The following description relates to a fluid dispensing system, for example, a hot melt adhesive applicator, for applying a hot melt adhesive to an underlying substrate, and in particular, a hot melt adhesive applicator having a reduced footprint to allow for use in applications where machine space in limited and/or smaller products are desired.
Hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material dispensing systems can dispense two or more different hot melt adhesives or other thermoplastic materials. The hot melt adhesive materials may be dispensed in, for example, two or more different types of patterns, two or more different types of application techniques or processes, or two or more different types of cyclical operations.
These material dispensing systems may be used in different applications for manufacturing different products or articles. For example, these dispensing systems may dispense the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material onto a substrate in the manufacture of products, such as, but not limited to, hygiene apparel and personal hygiene products, home furnishings, health care products, engineering products, industrial products, packaging and consumer goods.
The material dispensing systems typically include one or more nozzles configured to discharge the material onto the substrate, such as a non-woven fabric. In some configurations, the nozzle may discharge the material onto an elasticated strand or strands for subsequent bonding to a substrate. Still, in other configurations, the nozzles may discharge the material onto a product component, such as an absorbent pad, a layer of material, a fastener and/or band, for example, for subsequent bonding to a substrate or other component of the product.
One such system for dispensing a hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,997, to Lessley et al., and commonly assigned with the instant application. Referring to FIG. 1, the system 100 of U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,997 includes, generally, a drive motor 108, a gear box 110, an electrical junction box 114, a drive gear manifold 104, a rear-mounted metering pump assembly 106 on the drive gear manifold 104, a metering station 102, a filter block 120, a metering head 103 and application modules 138. The metering pump assembly 106 is includes a three-gear drive such as that shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,688,498 to McGuffey, commonly assigned with the instant application.
However, the system of U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,997 may have a large footprint such that in the production of smaller products or articles, for example, feminine care products, a significant amount of space occupied by the system is going unused. That is, existing hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic dispensing systems may be oversized for particular applications or product lines, resulting in unused or underutilized factory space during the production of the smaller products. In addition, the system of U.S. Pat. No. 7,908,997 may be difficult to install in facilities having limited space available.
The footprint or size of known systems may be attributed to one or more factors. For example, some known systems include a drive gear manifold holding a shaft and drive gears for driving the pumps of a pump assembly mounted thereto, and a service block or main manifold that includes, inter alia, heating elements, wiring cavities for necessary electrical connections, and fluid conduits for the hot melt adhesive material. That is, some existing systems are manufactured having two manifolds secured to one another. A nozzle adapter may also be included, typically secured to the main manifold. Further, to maintain the hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic material at desired temperatures, additional heater elements may be provided, for example, in the filter block. Thus, the filter block must also be provided having sufficient size to accommodate heater elements.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a hot melt adhesive or other thermoplastic dispensing system having fewer parts and a small footprint to efficiently utilize available space in manufacturing facilities and/or in the production of small products, such as feminine care products.